Phones: Addiction or Blessing

I have asked myself this question numerous times ‘Are phones a blessing in disguise or are they are just an addiction waiting to be discovered?’.

According to Psychology Today, Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance or engages in an activity that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health. Users may not be aware that their behaviour is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others. 

This is one of my best definitions of Addiction because when we think of addictions we limit them most times to porn, drugs, sex…but like the Bible rightly says there are little foxes that spoil the vine. The addictions (phone, sleep, food, games) that we sometimes don’t pay attention to may just be the ones that are capable of incapacitating us.

Sleep isn’t harmful and may not pass as an addiction but when it is out of control and starts to affect our daily life then we need to check it. So it is with our phones. It can be a blessing but if mismanaged it can become an addiction.

Let us diagnose you. You are a phone addict when –

It consumes your time uncontrollably

Are you spending so much time on your phone and can’t seem to achieve much during the day? Do you leave other things unattended to just to spend time on your phone? Do hours on your phone seem like minutes? Addictions don’t just occur in a day it is a gradual process and sometimes the hours you spend indulging in the pleasures on your phone may be a pointer that you are a phone addict.

Related article: The arrows of The Pleasurable Time Thief

You prefer your phone to having proper conversations with loved ones

I consciously have to remind myself that during a conversation it is unhealthy to be on my phone. Really? If you can’t seem to focus on a conversation without pressing your phone then you may as well be a phone addict. Are you more alive with your phone than you are with people around you? Do you find your phone to be more interactive than the individuals around? Then you may want to check yourself.

You feel empty without your phone

You can’t go a day without your phone or something just seems different when you are without your phone. Then you maybe a phone addict. Without knowing you have made your phone become a part of your identity just as makeup is to some.

WHY DO PEOPLE GET ADDICTED TO THEIR PHONES?

Lack of self of control

If you lack self-control you will misappropriate time. Phones will always seek our attention but with discipline, we can be in charge. If we lack self-control then we would give in to the pleasures of our devices and get caught up in its web. Don’t forget addictions are pleasurable.

Abuse

This is where I say categorically that I think our phones can/are a huge blessing but when the purpose for a thing is not known abuse is inevitable. We are meant to control devices and not have our devices control us. Knowing how to control our phones simply means that we know why we have them in the first place.

EFFECTS OF BEING A PHONE ADDICT –

Feeds other Addictions

I believe that there are a lot of other addictions that you can be fed through your phone especially if your phone is a smartphone. Almost everyone has a smartphone these days and a lot of people aimlessly surf the net and there are loads of jargon to sieve through online. If you do not discipline you can feed other addictions.

See Also

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Time thief

Our phones or the apps in them can be time-consuming. A way out of this maybe to appropriate specific time during the day for your phone.

Other effects of being a phone addict  – dysfunctional relationships, crippling finances, emotionally/physically unhealthy…

GETTING OUT OF PHONE ADDICTION

1. Be disciplined
2. Be time conscious
3. Build healthy relationships with others not just on your phone. Learn to spend time with the people in your life.
4. Understand why you have a phone
5. Form healthy habits – read a book, listen to music, sew…

I believe in the use of phones and I believe that they can be a blessing or they were created to be a blessing to mankind but I believe that that same blessing can be our undoing if not properly used. Your phone is to you what you choose it to be – A Blessing or An Addiction.

What are your thoughts concerning this topic? I am looking forward to hearing from you.